Police, Dec. 21

- Pennsylvania registration plate, JGJ-4742, owned by Miguel G. Garcia-Martinez, was reported stolen to police Thursday in the area of 712 Peace St. The plate was last seen on Wednesday at about 7 p.m. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 570-459-4940.

- A black man wearing a black and gray sweatshirt, black pants and a black hat pumped $10 of gas into a newer-model silver Chevrolet Impala at Turkey Hill, 800 Alter St., and left without paying Thursday at about noon. The Pennsylvania registration plate on the vehicle was JJV-6015. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 570-459-4940.

- Nicholas Hazlett, 32, Tamaqua, was cited for public drunkenness after an incident in the area of 700 West Broad Street at about 9:27 p.m. Wednesday.

- A vehicle driven by Felix Santos Colon, Hazleton, collided with a vehicle driven by Petar Nikodin, Hazleton, in the area of 19th and North Church streets Wednesday at about 2:31 p.m. Nikodin was taken to Hazleton General Hospital for head and neck pain. Both vehicles were towed.

- Jeremiah Justofin, 23, Zion Grove, was cited for harassment after an alleged altercation in the parking lot of Boyer's supermarket, 999 W. 15th St., Wednesday at about 7:45 a.m. A woman told police Justofin grabbed her by the wrist and pushed her against a parked vehicle.

- Robert L. Shafer, 44, Hazleton, was cited for criminal mischief after a woman alleged that he intentionally borke a window on her apartment in the 300 block of East Broad Street on Wednesday.

- Angelo Manganello Jr., 39, of Hazleton, was cited for criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and harassment following a disturbance in the 800 block of Seybert Street on Friday at 1:05 a.m.

- Michael Hauser, 20, of Hazleton, was cited for underage drinking and public drunkenness after he was found passed out on a porch in the 600 block of North Vine Street at 5:38 a.m. Friday.

McAdoo incidents

McAdoo police reported the following incidents:

- Dennis Basuljevic of Drums was charged with driving under the influence and possession of marijuana and paraphernalia following a traffic stop on North Kennedy Drive on Dec. 1.

- Douglas Corridon of Bensalem, Bucks County, was cited for underage drinking following a traffic stop on Nov. 24.

- Eric Piacenti of Hazleton was charged with possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia following a traffic stop on Oct. 29. Also, a passenger, Clayton Spohr, was turned over to Freeland police on a warrant.

- Mukuna Kante of McAdoo was charged with possession of marijuana and paraphernalia after police found drugs in his apartment when they were serving a felony warrant on May 30.

- Brandon Reed of Shenandoah was charged with driving under the influence following a traffic stop on Route 309 on Sept. 30.

- Mitchel Klingerman of Zion Grove was taken into custody on a warrant following a traffic stop on Nov. 15. He was wanted by Luzerne County Probation.

- Victor Mumtaz of West Hazleton was charged with driving under the influence following a report of suspicious activity on Dec. 13.

W. Hazleton man faces drug charge

West Hazleton police cited Alejandro Pigueiras Alacantrara, 21, of West Hazleton, for possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop on East Broad Street on Friday at 3:30 a.m.

Hazleton police assisted.

Check removed

A check was removed from outside the home of Jason Bridge on North Vine Street in Hazle Township between noon and 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, state police at Hazleton said.

Vandals damage vending machines

Several vending machines have been damaged and a small amount of money stolen from Regal Cinema at the Laurel Mall. State police at Hazleton said the incidents occurred in the past few months.

Man charged with assault at motel

One Montgomery County man was charged with assaulting another at the Candlewood Suites motel in Sugarloaf Township on Wednesday just after midnight.

Daniel K. Jones, 20, of Souderton was charged with simple assault and harassment, state police at Hazleton said.

Matthew A. Coleman, 23, of Harleysville, was taken to Hazleton General Hospital by Valley Regional ambulance with a black eye and a cut face after being punched in the face several times and choked, police said.

Man not hurt in rollover crash

State police at Frackville said Tory J. Shortz, 25, Wilkes-Barre, was driving north on Interstate 81 in Delano Township on Tuesday at about 1:10 p.m. when he lost control of the vehicle, which hit a ditch in the median and rolled once, coming to rest on the passenger side.

Shortz wasn't injured, police said, and the vehicle was towed.

No one hurt in Ryan Twp. crash

No injuries were reported after a two-car crash in Ryan Township on Thursday at about 8:24 a.m.

State police at Frackville said Carl D. Rumbel, Ringtown, failed to stop for traffic ahead of him on state Route 61 south at the Schuylkill Mall entrance and his vehicle crashed into the rear of a vehicle driven by Janice E. Bradbury, Shenandoah.

Rumbel will be cited for causing the crash, troopers said.

Ice leads to crash

State police at Schuylkill Haven said Michael G. Uranko, Pottsville, was negotiating a curve on state Route 209 in East Norwegian Township at about 6:55 a.m. Thursday when his vehicle slid on ice and traveled into the oncoming lane, sideswiping a school transport van operated by Ryan O. Troxell, Tamaqua.

Troopers said one student, a 16-year-old from New Philadelphia, was aboard, along with another passenger, Robert C. Felty, Tamaqua. No injuries were reported.

Lansford woman faces drug charges

State agents caught a 28-year-old Lansford woman allegedly selling illegal drugs in the borough in October.

Margaret M. Keller was charged by the attorney general's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation with four counts of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, felonies, and two counts of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.

The charges were filed Dec. 3 and Keller was arraigned Dec. 12 by Magisterial District Judge Casimir Kosciolek, who set bail at $2,000 unsecured, according to court papers.

Hazleton man faces drug charges

Weatherly police arrested a Hazleton man for allegedly attempting to sell drugs in the borough on Nov. 22.

Randy Cepedes Ortega, 21, was charged with manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, conspiracy, criminal use of a communication facility, possession of a controlled substance and use or possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arraigned Wednesday by Magisterial District Judge William Kissner, Palmerton, who set bail at $30,000, and awaits a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Joseph Homanko.

In arrest papers, police accuse Cepedes Ortega of traveling from Hazleton to Weatherly to sell 50 baggies, or 1.5 grams, of heroin to someone. He also had eight empty baggies with heroin residue on them in his possession, police allege.

Man charged with assaulting girl, 8

A 51-year-old Nesquehoning man is accused in a Dec. 11 assault in the borough involving an 8-year-old girl.

Glen H. Arthur was charged by borough police with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault, reckless endangerment and harassment. He was arraigned Dec. 12 by Magisterial District Judge Edward M. Lewis, Jim Thorpe, who set bail at 10 percent of $50,000, which Arthur posted later that day through a private surety, court papers state.

Arrest papers state police arrived at the home on Center Street around 9 a.m. for a 911 hangup call and Arthur told them a child accidentally called the number and children in the home confirmed the claim.

About 25 minutes later, police were dispatched back to the home for a report of a juvenile assault victim and learned from the victim and an adult woman in the home that Arthur allegedly stormed into the child's room and assaulted the 8-year-old because she called 911, arrest papers state. The child victim told police Arthur was assaulting an adult woman at a home on East Center Street so she called 911 the first time that night.

The child had "severe bruising" on her arm, police wrote.

Arthur was taken into custody while walking on Hazard Street, court papers state.

Man accused of head-butting police officer

A Tresckow man faces charges after he allegedly head-butted a police officer following a domestic dispute Sunday night in McAdoo, court papers state.

Michael J. Tracy, 27, was charged by borough police with two counts of aggravated assault, felonies, and one count each misdemeanor terroristic threats, institutional vandalism, simple assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. He also faces summary violations for public drunkenness and harassment.

According to arrest papers, officers were dispatched to 143 N. Kennedy Drive at 2:43 a.m. and on arrival could hear screaming and items being thrown inside. Tracy appeared intoxicated, court papers state, came chest-to-chest with Officer Steven Homanko and then "head butted" him.

Police attempted to handcuff Tracy and a struggle ensued, court papers state. He was taken to the police station and while being transported, was spitting and banging his head off the rear passenger side window of the police vehicle, court papers state.

Arrest papers also state Tracy told an officer if he "had a gun he woud kill me." Tracy was evaluted by McAdoo emergency medical services and was too combative with them, so he was taken to Hazleton General Hospital, police wrote.

Tracy was arraigned Sunday morning by Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker, who set his bail at $50,000, which he posted through a bondsman, court papers state.

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